Frostbite
by AshaRose
Summary: Set during the time skip.  Robin has an unfortunate meeting that chills to the core.


Disclaimer: No I don't own One Piece

**Frostbite**

One of her missions in the Revolutionary Army had gone horribly awry and now Nico Robin was lying in some godforsaken cave, handcuffed on some winter island. Her head was throbbing and she remembered receiving a large blow. Looking at the frozen terrain outside the cave, Robin realized she wouldn't be waking up at all if it weren't for the shelter of the cave. Outside the wind was blowing so ferociously that even dressed in a long coat, Robin felt cold.

From behind her a disinterested voice called out, "Oh, my. Looks like you're awake."

She knew that voice! It was the same one she heard every night in her nightmares. Robin began struggling trying to get upright, hoping to get away. But the combination of the handcuffs and the frozen ground made movement almost impossible. Her blood was pounding in her veins and her mind wildly sought for any idea to help her escape. An instant later, a strong hand closed around her upper arm and forcibly yanked her to her feet. Her body was roughly pushed against the jagged wall of the cave, which would certainly leave many bruises. Fear spread through her as she looked up into the blank eyes of Aokiji. She was living on borrowed time right now and he had probably come to collect on her debt.

"Nico Robin," the man said, his voice soft in contrast to his forceful hands. "I take my eyes of you for a few minutes and look where you end up." His icy hand was around her neck now pinning her to the wall of the cave. Beneath his hand, Robin's pulse beat an erratic rhythm and her chest heaved up and down as she gasped for breath. Yet Robin remained silent.

In a gruff voice, Aokiji spoke, "I watched you run for twenty years and then finally find your place. And now you've betrayed me by joining up with these jokes?" As he spoke, his hand relaxed its hold on her neck and lightly traced an icy path down her throat. "I told you to show me if letting you live was a mistake. And now look what you've done."

Robin could feel the chill spreading through her body at his touch. Terror took her as he gripped her chin and forced her to look at his face. He was staring into her frost colored eyes as if searching for something. "You do understand that you are alive right now solely because of my generosity? The World Government wants you dead, and you went against your word to the one Admiral who let you live?" He shook his head and his dark hair bounced around him. "I thought you told me you had something to live for. So why are you here?"

Sensing now that not answering would get her killed immediately Robin opened her mouth. She wanted to tell a clever lie, but under the intensity of his fury, fear held her tongue. Instead the truth spilled from her lips. "I have to get stronger for Luffy!" Her eyes went wide as she realized what she had said. The World Government had no love for her Captain anyway, so her plea would make little difference.

Aokiji's head tiled to the side as he towered over Robin and considered her words. "Oh my, so you are planning on going back to Straw Hat then? When? Where?"

But Robin pressed her lips together and refused to speak.

She had figured that this would be the end of her- frozen out in this winter wasteland with no nakama around to thaw her. In her head, she began composing her farewell letter to the crew, telling them how sorry she was she couldn't make their reunion date.

And then Aokiji did the most shocking thing he could have done: he laughed. His laugh was deep and full of mirth. "So your loyalty still remains to him above all others then? Very well, I will let you live long enough to rejoin his crew." One of his hands trailed to her shoulder, while the other grabbed a hold of her hip. He bent close to her and whispered, "And if you show me once that allowing you to live was a mistake, it will be your end."

His voice grew loud at his next words, "Mark my words Nico Robin. I will not let any of the other admirals have you. In the end, you will be mine to kill!"

Robin's eyes went wide at his proclamation. Then the hand on her shoulder slid to her neck and pulled her roughly into Aokiji as his lips crushed down on her own. Her heart was beating so quickly for fear of her life, she could barely register the kiss that left her lips blue and frostbitten.

"Let that be our promise, demon woman! Live well Nico Robin or your death will be mine!" And with that Aokiji turned his back to her and left the cave. He effortlessly mounted his bicycle and rode languidly off into the distance.

"Look! She's in here!" a voice called from beyond the cave. "She's half frozen too! We'd better get her back quickly!"

Soon her new comrades from the Revolutionary Army were around her, helping her out of the sea stone handcuffs and out of the cave. She wouldn't tell them what happened no matter how much they asked. In the end they just called her a mysterious woman and left it alone. For weeks after the incident, Robin could still feel his arctic lips on her own reminding her that he was out there watching.

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Author's note: All I can say is this one scene/image would not leave me alone until I wrote this. Now maybe I can get some sleep!

In other news, the next one-shot for Mystery Pants is done (and just needs editing) and I am 6 chapters in to writing my longer LuNa fic that once more is proving to have a life of it's own. I'll post it chapter by chapter when the whole thing is finished.

Anyhow, thanks for reading! Please take the time to review!


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